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For Customers, Perception Is More Important Than Reality

helprace.com

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Re: For Customers, Perception Is More Important Than Reality

#3
The perception thing is very real and that is what has driven the German automaker to tweak the sound the doors are making on their cars. Here are a few references. They are recent as this sound engineering has been going on for longer than the newspaper have been reporting online.

* https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-08-05/mercedes-... * http://www.bmwblog.com/2014/12/22/perfect-car-door-sound-mad... * http://mediatum.ub.tum.de/doc/1138344/369710.pdf * http://emea.nttdata.com/blog/en/its-all-about-sound-how-car-... * https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00849046/document

Re: For Customers, Perception Is More Important Than Reality

#4
Every time I read about this type of stories, where they show a small example of how our minds can be "tricked" by such simple tricks or stimuli, I always get afraid about all the other more important situations where this might be happening but we are not aware of it (choosing a career, deciding to get married to someone, etc)

Re: For Customers, Perception Is More Important Than Reality

#5

The perception thing is very real and that is what has driven the German automaker to tweak the sound the doors are making on their cars. Here are a few references. They are recent as this sound engineering has been going on for longer than the newspaper have been reporting online. * https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-08-05/mercedes-... * http://www.bmwblog.com/2014/12/22/perfect-car-door-sound-mad... * htt…

Thanks, similar to how Harley-Davidson engineered how their bike muffler 'should' sound

Re: For Customers, Perception Is More Important Than Reality

#6
post #4

Every time I read about this type of stories, where they show a small example of how our minds can be "tricked" by such simple tricks or stimuli, I always get afraid about all the other more important situations where this might be happening but we are not aware of it (choosing a career, deciding to get married to someone, etc)

Electing a president, for example. (paging Scott Adams)

Re: For Customers, Perception Is More Important Than Reality

#7
Sometimes a customer makes a downright irrational complaint. I don't really understand what they're complaining about or how to resolve the issue.

So I ask them to fill out a simple form: What happened? What did we do wrong? What is your desired resolution?

Often by the second question, they begin to realize we did exactly what they wanted (and no I don't mean we did it in a smart aleck way) and that maybe they're being irrational. By the third question, they get a perspective check: "how would I do this?"

Or they don't... and then explain in detail what they didn't like. We then address the complaint to the satisfaction of the customer.

I only use this in specific situations, but it's very effective.

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